Maxima Clam Care

[LexMueller]

Hello! I have a 25 gallon Water Box peninsula mini and just purchased a 2-3” Ultra Maxima clam. It hasn’t arrived yet but, I’m just looking to gain some more information about their care and them as an invert.
I already have done a bunch of research but just looking for more as it’s coming tomorrow or Friday.
just got an ATO for my tank and am keeping at 1.025-1.026. I’m also running an Ai Prime 16 HD
Everything has been growing steady and I’ve even been growing a myiagi tort and a red monticap. I also have a Bali green slimer but it went through a heavy phase of RTN. It’s better now and everything is extending their polyps well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Clams can be rewarding and colorful but there are a few precautions:
Temperature not to exceed 80
Ca not to exceed 450
Ph not to exceed 8.3
Alk not to exceed 11
Salinity best at 1.025
Nitrate not to exceed.8
Moderate water flow
Good lighting

They’re a sensitive species. You CAN’T allow ammonia, nitrite, or even nitrates to build up. This means adhering to a strict schedule of 25% water changes every week. Set up dosing to provide the trace elements the clam will need to survive if you can’t. Fluctuations in temperature, oxygen levels, pH, or alkalinity can make your maxima unhappy. Maxima clams also need light and lots of it which fuels the photosynthesis carried out by the zooxanthellae within their mantle. Without proper light, the clam will starve.

 

[New&no clue]

Hello! I have a 25 gallon Water Box peninsula mini and just purchased a 2-3” Ultra Maxima clam. It hasn’t arrived yet but, I’m just looking to gain some more information about their care and them as an invert.
I already have done a bunch of research but just looking for more as it’s coming tomorrow or Friday.
just got an ATO for my tank and am keeping at 1.025-1.026. I’m also running an Ai Prime 16 HD
Everything has been growing steady and I’ve even been growing a myiagi tort and a red monticap. I also have a Bali green slimer but it went through a heavy phase of RTN. It’s better now and everything is extending their polyps well.

Following along as I would love a clam one day. Do you plan to feed at all with phyto?

 

[LexMueller]

Clams can be rewarding and colorful but there are a few precautions:
Temperature not to exceed 80
Ca not to exceed 450
Ph not to exceed 7.3
Alk not to exceed 11
Salinity best at 1.025
Nitrate not to exceed.8
Moderate water flow
Good lighting

My temperature is at 76
Alkalinity is 7.5 at low and seems to be 7.7-8 high times. I use the salifert test kit and sometimes seems to be hard to read. Everything else is smooth though. How come PH shouldn’t exceed 7.3?

 

[LexMueller]

Following along as I would love a clam one day. Do you plan to feed at all with phyto?

Since it’s only 2-3” I’m going to be feeding phyto 2-3 times a week.

 

[jimk60]

Clams can be rewarding and colorful but there are a few precautions:
Temperature not to exceed 80
Ca not to exceed 450
Ph not to exceed 7.3
Alk not to exceed 11
Salinity best at 1.025
Nitrate not to exceed.8
Moderate water flow
Good lighting

How is the best way to keep PH that low? Buffer? I never knew that.

 

[MartinM]

- They don’t need phyto (one of those myths that just won’t die, go see James Fatheree’s research/book and/or Walt Smith’s thread here)
- They absolutely need PAR of at *least* 350, preferably 450+
- They will drain your alk very fast, make sure you’re dosing (preferably on auto) and testing daily in a tank that small
- If they’re not growing, they’re dying. They should be putting on a new row of scutes every 1-2 months. If they’re not, they’re not getting enough light
- Typo in the post, I’m sure he didn’t mean to put pH of 7.3. Of course, they need 8.1+

(I have 10 clams, 9 of which are maximas, and I’ve had maximas on and off for 20 years)

 

[LexMueller]

How is the best way to keep PH that low? Buffer? I never knew that.

Me neither. I was always taught to keep it 7.8-8.2
Even by clam keepers. I just want to know the reasoning behind it

 

[MartinM]

It was a typo He meant 8.3

 

[MaxTremors]

Since it’s only 2-3” I’m going to be feeding phyto 2-3 times a week.

Be careful with the feeding. You don’t want to target feed or squirt food into its siphon. Just broadcast feed the tank and it will filter it out. I heard it said best that Maximas come from what in the ocean would be considered a desert and are sort of like a cactus. You don’t want to over feed it, just occasionally broadcast feed the tank and otherwise it will get nutrients from fish poop and whatever bacteria/plankton are growing in the tank.

 

[New&no clue]

Do people recommend clam holders or just placing on a the rocks for them to attach too?

 

[MartinM]

I put mine on the highest spots of the rock, they usually attach within a few days to a few weeks. You can put them in a holder if you prefer. Just make sure they’re at the higher/highest spot in your tank. Maximas/Croceas thrive in light that would inhibit or kill most other corals. They don’t belong on the bottom, unless the bottom of your tank is getting 450 PAR

And yes, definitely don’t squirt food on them. No need to feed them, but feed your tank if you want (it really helps the biodiversity of the live rock!)

 

[LexMueller]

- They don’t need phyto (one of those myths that just won’t die, go see James Fatheree’s research/book and/or Walt Smith’s thread here)
- They absolutely need PAR of at *least* 350, preferably 450+
- They will drain your alk very fast, make sure you’re dosing (preferably on auto) and testing daily in a tank that small
- If they’re not growing, they’re dying. They should be putting on a new row of scutes every 1-2 months. If they’re not, they’re not getting enough light
- Typo in the post, I’m sure he didn’t mean to put pH of 7.3. Of course, they need 8.1+

(I have 10 clams, 9 of which are maximas, and I’ve had maximas on and off for 20 years)

Strange. I’m only feeding it phyto because of how small it is.
I’m learning a lot haha. Thank you for the help. How soon into the tank will it start consuming Alk like nuts? When will I notice?

 

[hart24601]

Strange. I’m only feeding it phyto because of how small it is.
I’m learning a lot haha. Thank you for the help. How soon into the tank will it start consuming Alk like nuts? When will I notice?

Martin pretty much nailed it. As for the initial parameters listed, it's just a rough guide (minus the typo), I have kept gigas, hippo, teardrop, maxima, crocea, squammy, and derasa in the same system and almost all the parameters were outside the parameters listed, it's just a good starting points. I would not expect a single small maxima to pull down a great deal of ca/alk until it's pretty large, like 4-6" which can take many years, especially depending on light intensity and the individual clam as their growth can vary a lot even with the same species.

I do keep maxima and crocea on the bottom but they are in 350 min PAR.

 

[Aqua Man]

I put mine on the highest spots of the rock, they usually attach within a few days

Been worried about placing a clam up high on a rock.

Until they attach, isn’t there a risk of being pushed off the rock work by a snail?

I have a bulldozer for a snail crew!

 

[Nemguy123]

The more times the clam gets knocked over the harder it will be for it to adjust best to pick a good spot where it won’t get pushed around too much and let them be

 

[Nemguy123]

This guy easily is taking over my tank they grow so fast when under the right conditions I have him under some really intense light and flow from a gyre

 

[LexMueller]

The more times the clam gets knocked over the harder it will be for it to adjust best to pick a good spot where it won’t get pushed around too much and let them be

Hmm. I see lol. Beautiful pictures by the way.
so when I get the clam where should I put him?
whether he’s attached or not? How should I acclimate him? I’ve heard temp acclimate is the best way rather than drip for clams. I have an AI Prime 16 HD. What spectrum should I be running?

 

[Nemguy123]

I’d go with 14-20 k for light color and high par. smaller clams will attach the rock and then let go when they get bigger if you have an acclimation setting on light that is also important for new clams. Tridacna clams in general can pretty much handle really intense lighting they just have to be acclimated to it

 

[LexMueller]

Thanks everybody! I’ll keep you posted when it comes